Strut for automatic sprinklers



E. M. CHANDLER.

STRUT FOR AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS. APPLlCATiON FILED FEB. 26. 1921.

Patented Novf 7 1922.

III

FT/a2 Wren/0r 0710/7. Ckamler ll atented Nov. 7, 192 2.

rates ELMO M. CHihNDLEB, 0F TOBGNTQ, QN'TJARIO, CANADA.

STRUT FUR AUTOMATIC EFF/1N KLEPJS.

T 0 all 20 from it may concern Be it known that l, hlLMo M. CHANDLER,

a citizen of the United States. and resident of the city of Toronto, in the Province oi Ontario and Dominion of Canada. have 1nvented certain. new and useful improvements This invention relates to improvements in automatic sprinklers, and the object of the invention is to provide a device which may be easily and cheaply manufactured and which will be quick and certain in operation.

The device consists briefly of a pair of hingedly related overlapping strut members -dapted to be held in compression in a sprinkler, and a key hingedly connected to one oi the members and overlapping the other member to hold the same in position when all three are soldered together.

In the drawings which illustrate the invention 5- Fig. 1 is a front elevation.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2--2 Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11. and 12 designate a pair of strut members hingedly connected at 13 by the tail 1 1 of the member 12 pivotally engaging in a recess 15 in the head 16 ot' the member 11, the point of engagement being located out of the axial line of the strut containing the load bearing points 17. The tail 18 of the member 11 lies alongside of and in engagement with the tail 14 and on the opposite side thereof from the strut axis. A key 19 is provided having a tail portion 20 lying alongside of and in engagement with the tail 18, said tail 20 being reduced at its free end to provide a solder holding shoulder 21. The tree end of the key tail is housed under an overhanging or projecting portion ot the member 11, the said por tion being designed to hold. an accumulation of solder, indicated at 23. The lower portion of the key is apertured at 2% for the passage therethrough oi the body of the strut member 12 and the apertured portion is disposed at an angle to the tail portion The member 12 is provided with a surface 25 normal to the plane of the apertured key portion, against which the key bears. In order to hold the key against slipping off its bearing surface 25, the member 12 is provided with lips 26 and 27 above and below the key seat 25 and disposed at such angles thereto that the key will be free to rock about the bearing line 28 or, if any impedance to such rocking is presented, the key will be free to slide partially or wholly over the lip during its relea ing movement. The IDEIlflbBIlQ is a loose fi in the key but, to ensure proper action and to guard against the possibility of corrosion uniting the giarts. the member 12 is reduced in width. as shown at 29, the reductions commencing at a shoulder located in the thickness of the apertured portion of the key when the strut is assembled. as clearly shown in Figure 2.

The operation of the device is extremely simple. The parts being assembled and the key held by solder, as indicated at 28, the strut is gripped at its load points 17 and placed in compression. The pivotal or hinge point 13 between the members being out of the load line, the two parts tend to swing about one another at the point 13 but this movement is restrained by the key overlying the tail 18 and holding the same against the tail 141;. The apertured portion of the key is so disposed as to lie almost in the plane of movement of the end of the tail 18. so that the metal of the key is almost entirely in tension. The tendency of the tail 18 is to swing the tail of the key away from the axis, the end of the tail. 18 being rounded. at 81 to facilitate such movement. The body of solder between the end of the key tail and the lip 22 normally holds the key aga nst movemei t so that the strut remains rigid. When the solder n3 is softened by heat, it allows the key tail to fly outwardly, rehasing the tail 18 and permitting the strut to collapse. The members of the strut form in themselves a toggle, the tail 18 of the key be ng a lever to magnify movement of the hinge joint of the toggle and transmitthe same to the key. The key tail constitutes a second lever further magnifying toggle movement. The result is that an almost imperceptible shortening of the strut between its lead points is transformed to a very considerable movement at the free end of the key tail. Conversely, slight movements of the key tail which occur as the solder is softening are so reduced that they do not permit shortening of the strut sufficiently to cause any leakage of the sprinkler valve. Shortening of the strut sutficient to cause any leakage or water flow is possible only after the key end has swung out from under the lip 22, that is to say after the solder has softened sufficiently to entirely release the key.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. A strut for sprinklers and the like, comprising a pair of overlapping hingedly connected members, and a key ap-ertured for the passage of one of the members and hingedly related. at one end to the member passing through it on one side of the strut axis and overlying at its opposite end the other strut member on the opposite side of the strut axis.

2. A collapsible strut for sprinklers and the like comprising a pair of hingedly related overlapping strut members, a key invluding a tail overlapping the overlapping portions of said members, and a laterally directed portion apertured for the passage of one oi the strut members and forming a link embracing the strut member and hingedly eonneeting the key thereto.

3. A structure according to claim 2 in which the member passing through the key is reduced in Width in the portion passing through the key and in the path the key to provide clearance.

4. A device according to claim it, in which the apertured portion or the hey is disposed to be in tension between the members of the strut.

5. A. device according to claim 2, in which the strut member passing through the key includes a key seat portion, and lips flanking the seat portion arranged to releasably hold a key on the seat portion. I I

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ELMO M. CHANDLER. 

